RAF Framlingham / Parham Airfield

The airfield was closed due to the end of World War II. It was constructed as a temporary wartime base for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bombers. With the cessation of hostilities in Europe, the American units returned to the United States, and the airfield became surplus to the post-war requirements of the Royal Air Force. It was returned to the Air Ministry in late 1945 and eventually sold for agricultural use.

The site is now a mix of agricultural land and historical preservation. While most of the airfield has been returned to farming, significant portions of the original infrastructure remain visible, including sections of the main runway, perimeter track, and several concrete hardstands. The original control tower and several adjacent wartime buildings have been preserved and now house the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Air Museum and the Museum of the British Resistance Organisation. These museums are dedicated to preserving the history of the American airmen who served at the base and the secret British Auxiliary Units. A small portion of the main runway is maintained and actively used as a private grass airstrip by the Framlingham Aero Club for light aircraft operations. The ICAO identifier GB-1088 refers to this private airstrip.

RAF Framlingham, also known as Parham Airfield and designated USAAF Station 153, holds significant historical importance as a major Eighth Air Force heavy bomber base during World War II. Constructed in 1942-1943, it was a standard Class A airfield with three concrete runways, fifty hardstands, and two T2-type hangars. From July 1943 to August 1945, it was the home of the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy). The group, flying the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, was a key component of the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. They flew 301 combat missions, targeting strategic industrial sites, aircraft factories, V-weapon sites, and marshalling yards across occupied Europe. The 390th earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat performance: the first for a raid on a Munster marshalling yard on October 10, 1943, and the second for bravery during a difficult mission to an aircraft factory in Brunswick on January 11, 1944. The airfield is a powerful symbol of the Anglo-American cooperation during the war and the 'Friendly Invasion' of East Anglia by thousands of American airmen.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen RAF Framlingham as a commercial or public airport. Its current status as a combination of active farmland, a historical museum site, and a small private airstrip is well-established. The focus of the site is on preserving its WWII heritage and its limited, private aviation use, making any large-scale reopening highly improbable.